Matt Debenedetto farms both figs and citrus and when the cold snap started he started working hard to salvage his crop.
"I go by the color...as you can tell maybe this one wasn't ready," said Debenedetto.
He knew the freezing temperatures were coming and acted fast.
"So I picked it (citrus) before the cold snap just to try to save some of it," said Debenedetto.
Like Debenedetto, most farmers are working throughout the night to ensure their citrus isn't damaged. It can be costly. Wind machines and water can be found running a lot sooner than usual.
"The fuel and average cost for fuel per hour, the propane is probably around $65," said Manuel Cuhna of Nisei Farmers League.
That doesn't include machinery repairs and the number of employees working overnight. They've recently found crime is another problem causing costs to go up.
"The theft of the electric motors that run our waters and our wind machines that people are stealing," said Cuhna.
Sunday night power usage to warm up the groves was huge. Wind machines had to be run for hours on end.
"In the total aggregate in the whole industry, it appears that we've hit the 17 and a half million dollar price for protecting this crop," said Joel Nelson of Citrus Farmers Mutual.
Growers are spending somewhere between 3 and 4 million a night in the San Joaquin Valley alone.
Debenedetto has been picking his oranges early for the last three years. It brings him joy to be able to give the oranges away to relatives and local charities.
Taking care of the trees and picking the fruit is something that I enjoy. It's a part of farming," said Debenedetto.
